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Pickle Problems - Water

Source: NDSU Extension Service Food and Nutrition Specialists

The choice of water in making pickles will affect the end result.

Soft water is best for pickling. The dissolved minerals in hard water will interfere with the pickling process. If only hard water is available, boil it, skim away the surface scum, and let it sit for 24 hours. Then draw water off the top of the container without disturbing any sediment.

An easier alternative than boiling, if you live in a hard water area, is to buy distilled water. Try pickling both ways and decide for yourself whether the cost is justified. A mixture of one part hard water and two parts soft or distilled could be tried.

A cloudy appearance or a white sediment on your pickles may indicate the use of table salt rather than pickling salt. Table salt contains an anti-caking ingredient. It could also be that yeast has developed and settled to the bottom of the jar. Or it may be the result of a normal reaction during fermentation caused by the bacteria which produce fermentation. The presence of a small amount of white sediment is normal in a jar of firm pickles. However, if the pickles are soft, they're spoiled so don't use them.

If you have further questions, please contact your county office of the NDSU Extension Service.

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